Take a mom of 3, stir in 4 vegan cookbooks, add a rounded cup of staying at home, and mix with a hefty pinch of recipe testing!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Recipes for Diabetes

Hi guys, I'll be back in a jiff with that rawroona roll post, but have a question for you...

I am writing an article about the benefits of eating a vegan diet for prevention of diabetes. I need to showcase four of my vegan recipes for the piece: a main course, two sides, and a dessert. I have some recipes in mind, but thought I'd ask those of you out there that have experience managing or reversing diabetes... what are some of your go-to favorite recipes from my books/blog?

Right now, I'm leaning towards a legume main dish (ex: Chickpea Ratatouille), and one side possibly the Living Caesar Salad. For the dessert, I'm thinking about a raw dessert (one of my new ones) or a baked good with whole-grain flours and low in sweeteners. But, also thinking about soups, and nut spreads/dips, and more...

I will bounce back and forth on this, because anyone that knows me understands how wickedly indecisive I am!! So, any suggestions are appreciated and will help me choose these four recipes. Thank you!

Thanks Mark. I will be referencing Dr. Barnard's books and have been following his work for years. I do need to use my own recipes, as this is my article, but I do have many low-fat and even oil free recipes, and have always had a whole foods approach to eating vegan. I'm trying to decide which particular recipes to spotlight, and hopefully some folks that have experience with diabetes will give me their own top picks! It's good to see the vegan diet moving in a more whole-foods centric approach, as it went through a phase of being very much about the 'sweeter and richer the better' (white flour, white sugar, butter, and more). Now it's shifting back to wholesome, healthful eating. Hearty congrats to you on your personal health gains and heightened well-being. My husband's father had a heart attack many years ago and reversed his heart disease following Dr. Dean Ornish's program. My husband and I had been vegan for a few years at that time, and that experience is what inspired me to write my first cookbook. Anyhow, enough of my rambling... thank you for sharing your input, appreciated. :)

There are many different types and stages of diabetes, with varying levels of restriction. However, some studies show that chia seeds help to regulate blood pressure. So you may want to include a recipe that has those. Also, nuts are usually a good thing because they have fats and protein and no sugar. My uncle has diabetes and he eats a lot of those. I would avoid recipes even with sweet fruits and starchy vegetable because often people with diabetes can't eat these well. Okay, hope that helps. I'm sure the article will be great!

ITA on the chickpea ratatouille. Made that this week after you posted about it! Another favorite is the hide-the-lentils tomato sauce, which I typically serve with whole wheat linguine.

I want to say that whenever I feel that I've been cooking too rich or decadent of vegan food, I turn to your cookbooks to get our family back to healthier foods. I always know I can count on your recipes to be wholesome as well as delicious and kid friendly, so thank you!

I've been with my diabetic for almost six months now and am only now getting into the swing of meal planning for him. Soups have been a big hit. He absolutely loved your Tomato Dill Lentil Soup. I'm about halfway through Dr. Barnard's book now and have been slowly redirecting our diet in that direction. It's a challenge!

Just so we are clear: you CAN NOT reverse diabetes. It is very damaging to tell people that. Type 1 diabetes can NEVER be cured, just controlled with insulin. Type 2 diabetes medication can be reduced or even eliminated but they will always have diabetes, they will just be controlling it with healthy eating instead of medication. I applaud what you are trying to do, and I think a vegan diet can be beneficial to anyone, but you CAN'T CURE DIABETES. End of.

Sarah, type 2 diabetes CAN be reversed through diet. Type 1 is different, and diet does not reverse or cure it - but it has been scientifically proven that diet can prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes. It takes a great deal of change, but the facts are there. Just as heart disease can be prevented/reversed with diet. Type 2 diabetes and heart disease are diseases of affluence, not genetics. http://www.nealbarnard.org/diabetes_book.htm

I've been following your blog for a while since my friend gave me your Eat, Drink and be Vegan book when I got sick last year and couldn't eat much. I love it and I think that as a dessert, you should propose your b-raw-nies. I can't get enough of them. I've made some for friends and colleagues and everyone loved them and asked for the recipe!! They're one of my favourite desserts now :) Thank you!

I decided to become vegan after difficulty controlling my insulin levels (not diabetic, just insulin resistant) and a bout of Mono that left my liver a bit cranky.

Anyway, the point is, I did some research and everything I have found points back to the same thing - low fat, foods as close to their original form as possible, and lay off any types of flour or sugar for the most part.